The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes
by PapillonReel
Summary: Alone in Sweegy Woods, Alma takes a closer look at the Holy Stones and is met with a bit of a surprise. --Yeah, I'm in the Game, Too IV" contest entry--


A/N: Well, here it is, my entry for the "Yeah, I'm in the Game, Too IV" contest. To be honest, I'm not too happy with how it turned out, as I was aiming for more of a comedy at first and I sort of rushed it near the end. However, I'm still proud of it for two things:

1) **I had finished writing it on time:** For those of you not in the know, I'm one hell of a chronic procrastinator, putting off projects and stories until the very last minute before I actually get started on it and often leading to the latter being left unfinished. The fact that I was able to finish writing this before the deadline is something I haven't done in a while, even if the final product wasn't something I was happy with.

2) **I actually stuck to an outline. **This is an actual first for me, and one thing I couldn't have been prouder for. Normally I tend to write as I go along instead of plotting things out ahead of time, which has lead to mixed results (good meaning _Heart of Steel_; bad meaning _Algus' Bad Day)_. Now that I've actually gotten a feel for setting up a rough outline for my stories, I might actually get to work on some of the longer ideas I've had in the works.

Anyway, even though I'm not too happy with the final product, here's hoping you enjoy it anyway. Thanks again for reading this fic, and I hope you enjoy (and review)!

- - -

The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes

A Final Fantasy Tactics Fanfic by PapillonReel

- - -

It was a quiet, dewy morning in Sweegy Forest, a thin layer of mist hanging over the area adding even moreso to the dampening atmosphere. With the morning birds having begun to sing and thus signalling the coming of the dawn, the sun slowly began creeping over the horizon, the morning light piercing the shadows in its early ascent.

Of course, none of this mattered much to Ramza, whom was busy fighting exhaustion as he finished packing his belongings and preparing his chocobo for the ride. He had planned this trip for weeks under the plan of visiting Gariland in order to gather more information about the church's movements. With him and Alma potentially still under suspicion of heresy, he had to make sure that their faked death was accepted by the general public so that they could blend back into society without being recognized for whom they were.

From the doorway to the cabin that they had called home for the past, Alma peered at the packing squire, puzzlement in her expression. "Why are you leaving so late, brother? Surely you could wait until after you've eaten?"

"I have to make it past the watches before they wake up to cut down on the chance of being recognized," Ramza replied curtly, still focused on packing his things on the waiting chocobo. He gave it a firm pat before turning to face his younger sister. "Don't worry, I'll be fine without breakfast this once. You'll be sure to keep the cabin cleaned, yes?"

"Clean as I can hope to get it, at least," Alma smiled. She walked up to her brother and hugged him tightly. "Be sure to stay on your guard, Ramza."

"When am I not?" He released from the hug and mounted the nearby chocobo, gripping at its reigns tightly. "Right, I'll be seeing you at sun down. Remember, if you see anyone suspicious-"

"-Take the stones and run away. Don't worry, I remember," Alma smiled. At this, Ramza spurred the chocobo and rode off down the path at a brisk pace, leaving Alma standing by the cabin.

Once Ramza had fallen out of sight and vanished beyond the trees, Alma let out a sigh. "I really hope he'll take care of himself. Who knows what fool errand he'll set out for in Gariland?"

- - -

Several hours have passed since Ramza had set off for Gariland, and, with no one to keep her company, Alma had been growing increasingly bored since then. Oh sure, she had chores to do in the meanwhile, but it wasn't much fun having her brother on hand to talk to, and worse yet she had already run out since then.

She sighed, throwing herself onto one of the chairs in the study, trying to rack her brains for something to do. She had swept the floors, cleaned the study, washed the dishes, cleaned out the chocobo stable, swept the floors, tidied the beds, swept the floors, and pretty much every other chore under the sun.

Well, all but one.

Alma's face lit up. She had yet to check on the holy stones, yes? Perhaps she can give them a nice polishing before Ramza got back - after all, even instruments of great evil need to be cleaned once in a while.

Pausing for a second to remember where Ramza had stashed them last, Alma ran into the bedroom and searched beneath the floorboards. After a fair bit of scrounging, she finally pulled out a small bag, which, upon closer inspection, contained the bedeviled jewels.

Alma wasn't so sure what was making her so giddy - it was just a routine polishing after all - but there was something... peculiar about them that made her draw near despite her troubled history with them. In any case, with nothing else to do, Alma sat herself down at a table and started pulling the gems out one by one.

The first one that game from the bag was Pisces. Her stomach knotted as she recalled the circumstances under which she came under possession of the stone. The Temple Knight, Izlude, had given it to her in his dying breath, and it was only through a trick of fate that it had fallen from her grasp when she was kidnapped that Ramza had found it.

Setting it inside, she reached in and pulled out another stone, this time Gemini. She didn't know much about the stone itself, other than it was the Silver Noble, Marquis Mesdoram Elmdor, that had possession of it. Her thoughts wandered to how he must've come under the possession of the stone, and whether or not he truly died in that uprising in Limberry.

After setting it, too, aside, Alma reached in one final time and pulled out another stone. This time it was Virgo, the one that she herself had held in that graveyard of airships hidden deep within the Earth. She shuddered as the thoughts and ambitions she glimpsed from Ajora's - no, Altima's - crazed mind filled her head once more. The thoughts were so vivid in fact, that it felt like she could almost-

"D... ou pr...mis..."

Alma gasped in alarm, letting the stone drop to the ground. Staring at the stone prone on the ground, she slowly calmed down as it showed no sign of movement. Perhaps she was just hallucinating, she mused, reaching to pick up the stone once more.

Only to jerk back in horror as the stone levitated off the ground. As it hovered there, Altima's sickly sweet voice rang through the air.

"Bearer of the holy stone, do you promise me?"

Alma stared in shock as the stone hovered before her, almost expectantly. As memories of her possession flowed into her addled mind, she blurted out, "N-no."

"Do you promise me that- what?"

"No, I won't. I won't promise."

The stone flashed violently, causing Alma to double back in alarm once again. It hovered slightly higher off the ground once more, its voice this time booming.

"I'll ask once again. Do you promise me that your spirit will bind with my flesh so that we'll-"

"I-I said it once before...!" Alma pulled herself to her feet, her knees quaking violently in fear. "I won't promise you."

There was a long pause. The stone hovered before her as she stood there, shaking in terror yet standing resolute, with nothing but a thick, smothering silence between them. Then, just as things could grow tenser, the light on the stone dimmed.

"...I guess there's no helping it then."

After that, the stone dropped to the floor with a thud, its light dimming to nothing. Alma blinked in surprise, before approaching the stone with greater hesitation. She reached towards the stone-

"Have you reconsidered the offer?"

She yanked her hand backwards quickly as if it had been burned. The stone still layed on the floor, however she knew all too well that it was still... active?

"Um... no," Alma muttered, eyeing the stone suspiciously. "However, I'd like to ask you something."

"Yes?"

Alma gulped, reconsidering her words before asking away. "Pardon me for asking, but... who are you exactly?"

The stone resonated once more, causing Alma to jump slightly, however it showed no interest in throwing another tantrum.

"What an odd question to ask..." the voice mused. "That's something I haven't been asked in a long time."

The stone floated into the air and slowly approached Alma, whom backed away from it. The voice continued, unabated. "However, I'll only tell you if you promise me..."

"The answer is still no."

"Then I have nothing to tell you," the stone replied, dropping towards the ground yet again. Before it could hit the floor, Alma reached out and grapped it, holding it before her to inspect it more closely.

"Why do you need to possess people so badly?" Alma asked the stone. It was a question that had been bugging her for quite some time - with as much power the Lucavi had in the stones, they could easily destroy the world ten times over, yet they were bound by their hoses in order to act. Why was that?

Unfortunately, the stone showed no signs of being helpful, though it still retained its glow. Alma sighed, stuffing the stone back in the bag.

"Wait!"

There was a loud bang as the holy stone shot out of the bag, breaking through the window by the side of the room. Alma shrieked, covering her head as the glass shattered into a million pieces. Once the shards had settled, she ran outside to find the stone lying under the windowsill.

"..."

The stone hovered yet again in the air, its glow diminishing somewhat as if in embarrassment.

"Sorry about that," the voice answered finally. "Now, where were we again?"

This was all too much for the poor ex-cleric. With all the excitement going on, Alma uttered a muffled squawk before hitting the ground in a dead faint.

- - -

"Ooh... where am I...?"

Alma slowly sat herself up as consciousness regained her, shaking her head as a rather strong headache hit. She didn't remember much of what happened, save her being bored and something involving-

"Finally awake, are you?"

Alma let out a scream as the voice returned, scuttling away from the stone floating over her. She remembered now - it was it that caused all this mess. Now she'll have to find a way to board up the window again and clean up the broken glass and why was all of this happening now!?

"Whu- buh- why are you- how are you-" Alma stuttered almost incomprehensibly, pointing an angry finger at the stone. "What are you doing?"

"You already know," the stone replied curtly. "And I'm not taking no for an answer. Now will you-"

"No!!"

Alma ran inside the cabin, shutting the door behind her. Just as the door clicked shut, it was nearly blown off its hinges as the stone began ramming the door.

"Will you promise!?" it thundered from the other side of the door. Alma didn't answer, bracing herself to try and hold the door closed from the repeated bashings of the stone. She gritted her teeth shut as the hinges started to come loose, the nails slowly peeling from the wall from the stone's relentless assault. One nail fell loose, then two, then three.

And then the door gave way, Alma flying forward with a shriek. She turned to face the stone, which was now glowing an ominous hue. She scuttled away from its presence, backing herself into a wall as the stone pressed forward.

"I'll ask only one more time. Will you promise?"

Alma gulped, eyeing the foyer to see if there was anything to use. In the corner of her eye, she spotted an old worn bag lying nearby. Perhaps if she-

"Well? Will you promise me?"

It being her only chance, Alma launched herself towards the back and grabbed it, opening it up and covering the stone with it. The stone shook violently inside of it, pulling this way and that in an attempt to break free but to no avail.

Tightening it close, Alma reared back and smashed it against the wall, the stone struggling violently inside of it. She then struck again, then again until the stone finally gave up the struggle and went limp.

Alma paused for a second with the bag in hand. Was it over, she mused? Had it finally stopped struggling? She opened the bag p slightly to peek in, to see that the stone lay prone at the bottom of it.

"Why do you resist so?" Alma heard the voice speak up once more, this time in an almost regretful tone. "Do you truly not wish immortality?"

"I don't need it," Alma said, before shutting the bag close. She carried it back into the study and slipped it with the others before hiding it back where they were before.

- - -

Ramza pulled back on the reigns as he stopped before the old cabin, dropping himself off of the chocobo to bring it in the stable to the side. On his way, he noticed Alma standing in the doorway to the cabin, and waved to her to say hello.

"Ah, Alma, how was your day- erk?"

He reeled back in surprise as Alma flung herself towards him, gripping him in a deadlock hug. "A-Alma, are you okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine," she said, her hug tightening all the more. "In fact, I've never been better.


End file.
